The present invention relates to a device for furling sails.
More specifically, the present invention relates to a device for furling large downwind foresails, such as asymmetric spinnakers or like type sails, such as gennakers or MPS.
As is known, a very important problem to be solved by cruisers sailing with a short-hand crew is that of maneuvering or handling large foresails, such as asymmetric spinnakers or other like sails, such as gennakers or MPS.
The most common solution adopted in the prior art, to facilitate sail hoisting and lowering operations on large downwind foresails provides to use a so-called “sock” or “sleeve” equipment, containing the sail in a furled or clamped condition.
Such an equipment conventionally comprises: a funnel element made of an ABS material rigid with the sock or sheath and coupled to an endless sheet and a head block.
The endless sheet is looped back to the head block, to drive the ABS funnel element from deck.
To said head block a strop is coupled, where the sail head and upper portion of the sock are affixed.
More specifically, said sock is hoisted to the mast head, and the sail bottom is connected to the swivel tack and latched to the manoeuvering foil or sheet.
The operation for inflating an asymmetric spinnaker provides to drive the endless sheet, to cause the funnel element to be hoisted to the mast head, thereby compacting the sock and freeing the sail.
For tightening the sail, the endless sheet is operated in a reverse direction, to cause the funnel element to be lowered to fully extend or spread the sail clamping sock.
Prior apparatus or equipments for performing the above mentioned operations, however, are affected by operating drawbacks which increase as the wind intensity or strength increases.
In fact, for performing the above mentioned operations, a crew member must move toward the bow of the boat, i.e. to a poorly protected and less safe position, to operate the endless sheets and downward drive the funnel element, for tightening the sail, or upward drive it for freeing said sail.
Moreover, the sheets must be in a well accessible exposed condition, i.e. they must not be twisted around the sail, inside the sock.
Actually, a locked endless sheet would render very dangerous the sail tightening or freeing operation, both due to an unstable equilibrium condition affecting the crew member, and a possible anomalous operation of the sail which, if it is not properly tensioned in its working position, can be suddenly deflated and inflated again.
Thus, a jamming of the endless sheets would be very dangerous and difficult to be eliminated, thereby forcing the boat crew to perform an emergency operation to recover the sail.
The prior art discloses further furling devices for furling or unfurling asymmetric sails.
All the above prior constructions, however, provide that the sail is designed and made to fit the features of the furling/unfurling system.
In actual practice very slim sails have been designed, such as drifters and reachers, which can be easily furled, for sailing rates with the tack forward to the beam.
The sails are herein furled around a foil and are rigid therewith, and accordingly being tensioned between tack and halyard.
However the above prior systems are specifically suitable for very high speed boats, catamarans, or very light and planing mono-hull boats, designed for sailing with the wind forward of the beam.
In no case the above mentioned systems are designed or suitable for furling downwind sails, asymmetric spinnakers of standard construction or like sails, such as gennakers or MPS.